Friday, 6 February 2009

Flags of our Fathers 2006

Flags of Our Fathers is a 2006 American war film directed, co-produced and scored by Clint Eastwood and written by William Broyles, Jr. and Paul Haggis. It is based on the book of the same name written by James Bradley and Ron Powers about the Battle of Iwo Jima and the six men who were involved in raising the flag on Iwo Jima. Eastwood also directed a complementary film on the battle from the Japanese viewpoint entitled Letters from Iwo Jima. It was released in Japan on December 9, 2006 and in the United States on December 20, 2006, two months after the release of Flags of Our Fathers on October 20, 2006. Both this film and Letters from Iwo Jima are produced by Steven Spielberg.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaTo view the Original Trailer, click below:

From around the World:
Here's 3 poster designs, from top to bottom-
The U.S. 1 sheet poster design 27x41
The French Poster
The UK Quad Poster 30x40
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Eastwood, Spielberg Raise 'Flags' July 08, 2004

By Borys Kit and Chris Gardner

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Clint Eastwood (news) and Steven Spielberg are teaming up to bring the story of the Battle of Iwo Jima to the big screen.

Eastwood will direct an adaptation of "Flags of Our Fathers: Heroes of Iwo Jima" for DreamWorks, the studio co-founded by Spielberg.

The battle, which took place in winter 1945, was a turning point in the Pacific theater. In one month, 22,000 Japanese and 26,000 Americans died, and the battle produced one of World War II's most enduring images: a photograph of six soldiers raising an American flag on the flank of Mount Suribachi, the island's commanding high point.

One of the six was Navy corpsman John Bradley. Bradley never mentioned his experiences to his family, and it was only after his death in 1994 that his son James discovered his father's heroism. James Bradley wrote the "Flags of Our Fathers" book, which was published in 2000, with Ron Powers.

The project is the second collaboration between Spielberg and Eastwood, following 1995's "The Bridges of Madison County," which Eastwood directed and starred in and Spielberg produced through his own Amblin Entertainment banner.

The script for "Flags of Our Fathers" will be written by Paul Haggis, who is co-writing with Eastwood "The Million Dollar Baby," which Eastwood is also directing; Hilary Swank stars.

Eastwood most recently directed the Oscar-winning crime saga "Mystic River." He won Academy Awards (news - web sites) for directing and producing "Unforgiven." Spielberg is not unfamiliar with World War II, having won Oscars (news - web sites) for "Schindler's List" and "Saving Private Ryan," as well as served as an executive producer of HBO's Emmy-winning miniseries "Band of Brothers."

Clint Eastwood is in talks to direct an adaptation of the book "Flags of Our Fathers," by James Bradley and Ron Powers, for DreamWorks.

Paul Haggis is writing the script.

Eastwood & Spielberg Team on Battle of Iwo Jima Film

Source: Variety

July 9, 2004

Clint Eastwood and Steven Spielberg are teaming up to bring the story of the Battle of Iwo Jima to the big screen, reports Variety. Eastwood will direct an adaptation of "Flags of Our Fathers: Heroes of Iwo Jima" for DreamWorks, the studio co-founded by Spielberg. The trade describes the battle and writer as follows:

The battle, which took place in winter 1945, was a turning point in the Pacific theater. In one month, 22,000 Japanese and 26,000 Americans died, and the battle produced one of World War II's most enduring images: a photograph of six soldiers raising an American flag on the flank of Mount Suribachi, the island's commanding high point.

One of the six was Navy corpsman John Bradley. Bradley never mentioned his experiences to his family, and it was only after his death in 1994 that his son James discovered his father's heroism. James Bradley wrote the "Flags of Our Fathers" book, which was published in 2000, with Ron Powers.

Eastwood and Spielberg previously collaborated on 1995's The Bridges of Madison County, which Eastwood directed and Spielberg produced. The script for Flags of Our Fathers will be written by Paul Haggis, who is co-writing with Eastwood The Million Dollar Baby, which Eastwood is directing with Hilary Swank starring.

Clint’s next movie, "Flags of Our Fathers," may be the most ambitious he has ever made. The film, which will be produced by Steven Spielberg, is being adapted from the best seller about the World War II Battle of Iwo Jima and the men who famously raised the American flag on Mount Suribachi.

Eastwood said it hasn't been cast yet and that he probably won't start shooting before late summer.

"It's going to difficult," he said. "It's very different from the last few pictures. But if we do our jobs, it could be special."

Million Dollar Baby star and director Clint Eastwood has dashed the hopes of thousands of twenty-something actors, after announcing he won't be casting anyone over the age of 26 in his new movie. The Oscar-winning director is determined to maintain historical authenticity when he casts World War Two epic Flags Of Our Fathers, about the men who raised the flag at Iwo Jima, early next year. Eastwood, 75, explains, "The average age of most of these fellows at that stage was 19, so in casting, I'll try to be very accurate about that. The oldest amongst them was 26, in fact, they call him the old man, so if he's old at 26, well..."

After directing films for no other studio but Warner Bros. for 28 years straight (i.e., except for Columbvia's Absolute Power), Clint Eastwood will briefly jump ship when he makes his next movie -- a time-shifting father-son World War II flick called Flags of Our Fathers -- for DreamWorks this summer.

The film will be based on James Bradley and Ron Powers' book of the same name, which was published in 2000. It recounts the sometimes tragic tales of the six Marines who raised the American flag on Mount Suribachi (*) on February 23, 1945, during the American forces' battle for Iwo Jima against Japanese occupiers.

In less than a month's time (from 2.19.45 to 3.10.45), more than 22,000 Japanese soldiers and 5,391 U.S. Marines were killed, with an additional 17,400 Americans suffering wounds.

One of the six flag-raisers was Bradley's father John, a Navy corpsman who later received the Navy Cross for bravery under fire. The senior Bradley, who died in 1994, never told his family about his heroism, and only after his death did James Bradley begin to piece together the facts.

As I understand it, the film will portray the younger Bradley's investigation of his dad's experience in a narrative, non-documentary, actors-speaking-lines fashion, as well as the back-stories of the other five flag-raisers, presumably with the use of frequent flashbacks and whatnot.

Eastwood couldn't be hotter right now with the nominations and coming Oscar noms for Million Dollar Baby, etc., and it does seem as if directing a film without Warner Bros. funding for the first time in nearly three decades would be a milestone of some kind. But making Flags of Our Fathers for DreamWorks doesn't mean he's pulling up stakes.

That would be a significant story, but a guy who's close to the situation is saying "nope."

Eastwood is not acting, he says, on an alleged long-simmering frustration with Warner Bros. execs, including president Alan Horn, over their purported lack of enthusiasm for his making Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby ...although WB execs were naturally delighted with both after they caught on.

Eastwood's frustration was very real last spring when the Million Dollar Baby negotations were hanging in the balance and Warner Bros. execs were exuding, I've heard, half-hearted enthusiasm over the boxing film.

Nor is Eastwood venting, I'm told, over Warner Bros.' reported lack of faith in both Baby and the earlier Mystic River as indicated by the Burbank-based studio having allegedly sold off foreign rights to both films at a lower price than their U.S. receptions would indicate.

That's all water under the bridge, my guy tells me. Relations between Eastwood and Horn these days are pleasant and amicable, he says.

Eastwood, I'm told, will simply direct the Iwo Jima film, working from a script that was completed last August or thereabouts by Million Dollar Baby screenwriter Paul Haggis. He'll then return to Warner Bros. after Fathers is wrapped and promoted to make another Haggis-scripted film, the details about which my source was unwilling to confide.

The DreamWorks deal, which had its first stirrings when DreamWorks partner Steven Spielberg, who'd worked with Eastwood on The Bridges of Madison County in '95, sent the "Flags of Our Fathers" book to Eastwood last year, with urgings that he consider directing a film version.

Eastwood read it, liked it and approached Haggis to adapt it in January '04. The intention to shoot the film for DreamWorks was more or less decided upon, I'm told, before the Million Dollar Baby animus happened last spring.

Although a DreamWorks spokesperson told me yesterday that nothing is really in place on the Fathers project, the closely-involved guy says it'll definitely film this summer, probably on Iwo Jima itself and perhaps also on one of the Hawaiian islands (i.e., somewhere where there are black-sand beaches).

No Fathers casting or anything else is happening just yet. Eastwood and DreamWorks are "going over budget issues" right now.

(*) The flag-raising by the six G.I.'s was actually the second that happened atop Mt. Suribachi on 2.23.45. Another U.S. flag was raised around 10 a.m. by five G.I.'s, but the event was repeated for p.r. purposes a few hours later with a second flag (on top of a 100-pound pole) and photographers capturing it for posterity.

Explanation: Clint's Absolute Power ('97) was initially distributed by Columbia, although Warner Bros. currently owns the title due its purchase of Castle Rock...even though the 35mm prints still open with the Columbia logo.

Next up for the director is Flags of Our Fathers, based on James Bradley's best-selling book about his father and the five other men who raised the flag at Iwo Jima. ``It's nice for America to understand what these people went through, because they were all kids — their average age was 19," he says.

Clint Eastwood has begun assembling his troops for his "Flags of Our Fathers," casting Ryan Phillippe, Adam Beach and Jesse Bradford in his World War II epic.

The movie is based on James Bradley's book "Flags of Our Fathers: Heroes of Iwo Jima" and was adapted by Paul Haggis.

The Battle of Iwo Jima, which took place in the winter of 1945, was a turning point in the Pacific Theater. In one month, 22,000 Japanese and 26,000 Americans died, and the battle produced one of World War II's most enduring images: a photograph of U.S. servicemen raising an American flag on the flank of Mount Suribachi, the island's commanding high point.

One of the six soldiers was Navy corpsman John Bradley. Bradley never mentioned his experiences to his family, and it was only after his death in 1994 that his son James discovered his father's history. James Bradley wrote "Flags," which was published in 2000, with Ron Powers.

Phillippe will play Bradley, while Beach portrays Ira Hayes, an American Indian who copes with the war experiences by drinking himself to death. Bradford will play Rene Gagnon, a ladies' man who is one of the flag raisers.

Eastwood and Steven Spielberg are producing the DreamWorks Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures co-production, and Robert Lorenz is executive producing. DreamWorks will distribute domestically, while Warners will handle international.

Shooting is scheduled to begin next month in Iceland, Washington, Los Angeles and Chicago.

Phillippe, repped by UTA, appears in "Crash." Bradford, repped by UTA and Alchemy Entertainment, is starring in Merchant Ivory's "Heights" opposite Glenn Close and Elizabeth Banks. He next stars in Don Roos' "Happy Endings" opposite Lisa Kudrow and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Canadian-born Beach has appeared in such films as "Windtalkers" and "Smoke Signals." He is repped by Dan Spilo of Evolution Entertainment.

AFTER A legendary career as one of Hollywood’s top action movie heroes, followed by an equally impressive stint as an Academy Award-winning director, former Carmel Mayor Clint Eastwood is about to start filming his most ambitious — and most expensive — project.

Beginning in August, Eastwood will travel to New York, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Hawaii, the North Atlantic and the forbidding, sulfurous Pacific island of Iwo Jima to recreate the story of the six men who raised the flag on Mt. Suribachi in the middle of one of World War II’s costliest battles.

Three of those men were dead within days of the Feb. 23, 1945, event that was captured in history’s most reproduced photograph. Only one, John Bradley, lived a long, fruitful life. It is his son’s book, “Flags of Our Fathers,” that Eastwood will bring to the big screen.

“My father was a flag raiser, and I feel like I’m the custodian of an incredible story,” Bradley told The Pine Cone from his home in Rye, N.Y. “Having Clint Eastwood direct the movie — the flag raisers are in good hands.”

Bradley’s heartrending book was published in 2000 and quickly became a best seller. After reading it, Eastwood tried to acquire the rights, only to learn that Steven Spielberg already owned them. Four years later, the two cinematic legends agreed to produce the movie together, with Eastwood directing.

While impressive names top the credits, the cast won’t include any big stars.

“The men who raised the flag were all young — very young — and we’ll be using actors who are up and coming,” Eastwood said this week during a pre-production break.

Still, the budget for Flags of Our Fathers will probably reach $80 million — three times as much as “Million Dollar Baby,” which won four Oscars in February, including Best Picture and Best Director. And “Flags” will take at least three months to film, Eastwood said — far more than any other picture he’s directed.

A sacred place

The huge commitment of time and money reflects the difficulty of recreating a major battle of history’s greatest conflict.

“The Japanese defenders were dug in everywhere, and they had an armada of 880 ships coming at them,” Eastwood said after scouting locations on Iwo Jima in April. “The battle lasted 31 days, and almost 30,000 men lost their lives, including about 7,000 Americans.”

Thousands of Japanese dead are still on the island, he said, many of them in the underground fortresses they hewed out of solid rock to resist the Allied onslaught, which aimed to give American air forces a base for bombing the Japanese mainland just 600 miles away.

“We went down into quite a few tunnels, but you can only go so far, because nobody’s been in them in a long time,” he said.

Access to the cavernous underground headquarters of the Japanese commander, General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, requires crawling on hands and knees through a small opening — an experience Eastwood said he found “claustrophobic.” But he said his wife, Dina, who accompanied him on the scouting trip, didn’t mind the creepy crawl.

They found that throughout the island, which is still an active volcano, there is still a tremendous amount of fired ordnance lying around, along with rusting tanks, machine gun nests and medical equipment. “Everything has been left pretty much the way it was,” Eastwood said. “They don’t allow tourists, and nobody else has picked it up.”

Recreating the vast struggle that cost so many lives and left behind so much detritus poses a daunting task for a filmmaker. The Japanese government, which regained sovereignty over the tiny island in 1968, severely restricts access to Iwo Jima and what can be done there.

“They want us to come and shoot, but it’s sacred ground for them, and because of the memorial aspect, I can’t use a bunch of pyrotechnics to create the mayhem the way it was,” Eastwood said. “Also, I can’t take a ton of equipment and men over there and have [the Japanese] all of a sudden say, ‘You can’t do that.’”

So while wide shots of Iwo Jima, to be overlaid with digitally created invasion ships and airplanes, will be filmed on the island itself — along with a possible recreation of the famous flag raising — the combat footage will be shot on the desolate, black sand beaches of the far North Atlantic.

“We looked at Hawaii, and I liked it, but the beaches are too narrow,” said Eastwood. “Iceland, for example, has very big black sand beaches.” He pointed out that Spielberg used the coast of Northern Ireland as a substitute for Normandy in his 1998 film, “Saving Private Ryan.”

A ‘brilliant’ script

The screenplay for “Flags of Our Fathers” interweaves brutal combat with the personal stories of the men who raised the stars and stripes on Mt. Suribachi — their suddenly lost youth, and the price paid for their valor by the families they left behind.

“When I first read the script, I cried,” said Bradley. “And then I read it again, and I cried again.”

He also said he was “bowled over” by the “brilliant” techniques screenwriter Paul Haggis used to transform his book for the visual medium of the cinema.

“What he did convinced me I could never be a screenwriter,” said Bradley, who is also author of the widely acclaimed book, “Flyboys.”

Another crucial element in the story of the Iwo Jima flag raisers is the war-bond whirlwind the surviving soldiers were suddenly thrust into after Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal’s image of them was printed on the front page of every major newspaper in America.

“Their first press conference was in the Oval Office, where Harry Truman told them, ‘Boys, you raised the flag. Now you’ve got to raise some money,’” Bradley recounted.

One of the movie’s scenes will be a massive parade through Times Square. Another will be a huge “Buy Bonds” rally at Chicago’s Soldier Field. Other scenes will recreate Hawaii’s Camp Tarawa (where U.S. troops trained for the Iwo Jima invasion), the dedication of the Iwo Jima Memorial in Arlington, Va., and the home towns of the six flag raisers — including Appleton, Wisconsin; Manchester, New Hampshire, and Arizona’s Pima Indian Reservation.

“Everything has to look as real as possible,” Eastwood said.

“The Warner Bros. art department even asked me, ‘What did the front porch look like where [flag raiser] Harlon Block’s family got the news he had been killed?’” Bradley recalled.

In addition to working toward the release of “Flags of Our Fathers” in the summer of 2006, Eastwood will shoot a companion piece about the invasion from the Japanese point of view. “It will be like a documentary, telling the story of the men who defended the island, their tenacity, and what it was like to have this armada coming at them.”

Both films will have the same purpose, he said: To be true to the history of an heroic — and desperately tragic — era.

“I just want the people who end up seeing these pictures to feel how the story happened, how these skinny kids were affected, and how they were a lot tougher than we are today.”

Film director and actor Clint Eastwood has been issued a license to shoot scenes for his new movie "Flags of Our Fathers" in the area around Krísuvík in southwest Iceland.

The building commission of the town Hafnarfjörður issued the license to Eastwood and company yesterday with a "no-impact" stipulation under which the filming crew must leave the land where they'll be shooting in the same condition as it will be when they start later this summer. In addition they must take care to preserve any archaeological remains in the area and are obliged to solicit the services of the Icelandic Archaeological Institution to mark those areas which are likely to contain artefacts.

The license was issued in spite of being opposed by the environmental commission of Hafnarfjörður and the governing council of the national park Reykjanesfólkvangur. The environmental commission and the governing council of the national park have expressed concerns about the possible adverse effects of cast, crew and props on the delicate ecology and landscape at Krísvík.